Fragile
by WithMyBrokenWings
Summary: Julian has been reborn, and you won't believe who is responsible. Now he has to win Jenny's heart and fight the Shadow Men to become human.
1. Chapter 1

..::(prologue)::..

Tom Locke had everything he'd ever wanted. It was summer vacation at last and he didn't have to worry about the constant pressure of project deadlines and exams. He'd gotten excellent grades and his parents were proud of him. And they were event thinking of putting in a pool this year, so that he didn't always have to go to one of his friend's. Heck, he'd even survived being held hostage in the Shadow World just a few short months ago. It seemed like everything was going his way.

Well, except for one thing. And it was the one person that mattered most to him.

Jenny.

The girl with hair like woven sunlight and eyes the color of dark leaves reflected on water. The girl who had saved him from the Shadow World. The girl he loved.

She'd risked everything for him, battling nightmares he couldn't even begin to imagine. She'd met the Shadow Men, rulers of the ice and shadows, and played their horrible games. She'd even been willing to sacrifice herself for her friends, including him, just so they could go free. She had nearly died for him and he knew he would've done the same for her.

But ever since that day back at Joyland Park, everything had changed. Jenny was...independent. Spirited. Strong. She knew how to take care of herself. She didn't need him anymore.

Tom had sensed it in the first Game, when the youngest Shadow Man had taken him and she had had to save him. Now he shuddered at the thought of that Shadow Man, a deadly being named Julian. Julian had fallen for Jenny and nearly taken her from Tom in that first Game, and then again in the second. Too many Games. Too many times he could've lost Jenny. And then, in the final Game, it had happened. A life for a life. The Shadow Men had wanted Jenny as their prey and Julian had gone in her place. She'd been heartbroken, shattered. Julian died in her arms. But he said that nothing truly dies as long as it's not forgotten.

The truth was Tom hadn't forgotten, and no matter what things his parents bought or what grades he'd achieved, his world was crashing down around him. He was going to lose her.


	2. Chapter 2

"Jenny, you throw the best pool parties ever!"

Summer was perched on top of the diving board, waving enthusiastically. Her blonde curls hung in dripping ringlets around her face and her eyes shone like sapphires. She jumped into the pool with a splash, laughing happily.

Jenny smiled. She was glad Summer was enjoying herself. She'd never been very confident before, but then again, no one had gone through what she had before. _We've all been changed, _Jenny thought, her gaze wandering to the rest of the teenagers clustered around the pool.

Audrey and Dee were sitting side by side, dangling their feet in the water. Dee's long, dark legs extended gracefully as she flicked one foot up to splash at Summer. She grinned at something Audrey said, clearly enjoying herself. Audrey was flapping her hands as she told a very animated story. She hadn't bothered to put her hair up, which was unusual, and now it burned like copper fire in the sunlight. Two girls, who had recently been enemies. And now they were laughing and talking like old friends.

Michael was on Audrey's other side, occasionally offering his opinion on whatever they were talking about. Shining droplets hung from his dark, rumpled hair. Jenny noticed that he was holding Audrey's hand. It was a small gesture, just a way to say, _I'm here for you. _There were no more insecurities between the two. It was always Audrey-and-Michael. Michael-and-Audrey. The pair was inseparable.

Then Jenny caught sight of her cousin, Zachary. He had snuck up behind Summer and now he was holding her around the waist, grinning as she laughed and tried to wriggle free. Zach had gone through the biggest change, in Jenny's opinion. He was opening up to other people instead of retreating into his own little world. He'd always been untouchable, his gray eyes as cold and unyielding as a winter wind. Now those eyes were lit with amusement and he was looking at Summer with a softness that had never been there before. Yes, Zach had definitely changed.

_None of us are the same, _Jenny thought, absently fingering the gold ring on her finger. Then she blinked. Wait a minute...where was Tom?

She sat up in her lawn chair. "Dee!" she called.

Dee looked up questioningly, eyes flashing like dark river water in sunlight. Jenny lifted her hands in confusion. "Where's Tom?"

Dee shrugged. "I don't know," she replied. "I haven't seen him since I came."

"Maybe he's late," Michael suggested helpfully.

"Yeah," Jenny murmured, talking to herself now. "Maybe." She leaned against the back of her chair again; the heated surface warmed the skin her blue string bikini showed. She'd been worrying about Tom lately. They'd been dating since grade school and she had assumed their time in the Shadow World would bring them even closer together. But Tom was very distant all of a sudden. He spent time with her, of course, but his gaze was always clouded, like he was thinking about something else. _Something's bothering him._

There was a flash of neat, dark hair and Tom appeared, striding from the direction of the street. He was wearing a thin blue T-shirt and shorts instead of swim trunks and something about the way his walked, tense and purposeful, only confirmed what Jenny already knew. Something was not right here, and she suspected she was about to find out what it was.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews! Every time I get a new one, I'll update the story :) There's another version of the prologue that I accidentally published on here... -_- just ignore it. Okay, if you want Tom out of the picture, you'll like this chapter! XD (we just love to beat him up, don't we?

"I need to talk to you," Tom said when he reached her, running a hand back through his hair.

Jenny jumped to her feet immediately, a strange feeling of dread planting itself in her stomach. "Okay. Do you want to come inside?"

He nodded absently, distracted. She tugged the sliding glass door open and stepped over the threshold, into the coolness beyond. The house was much cooler and more welcome than the outside heat. Tom followed her in and she shut the door behind him. She turned around then, a question poised on her tongue, but stopped when she saw how he was looking at her. His normally bright hazel eyes were shadowed, hiding any emotion, and his brow was furrowed.

"Jenny," he began, and paused, uncertain. Then, "are...are you...happy?"

Jenny blinked, confused. "What do you mean? Of course I'm happy."

"No, that's not what I meant," he said. He sighed heavily. "I mean, are you happy...with me?"

The knot of dread in her stomach tightened. "Is something wrong, Tom?" she asked worriedly. "I've always been happy with you. I love you."

He just stared at her, an almost blank expression on his face. The sunlight slanted in through the glass door behind her, lighting the green flecks in his eyes and making him look even more handsome. _He knows I love him...doesn't he? _she thought, alarmed.

When he spoke next, it was in a quiet voice, a voice as cold as winter. "Do you ever think about him, Jenny?"

Jenny felt the breath leave her body. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute, just at the mention of _him. _And though she already knew who he was talking about, she asked, "who?"

"You know who," Tom replied, his gaze dark. "Julian."

_Julian._

The name hung in the air between them, like the sharp fiery scent that came with the promise of thunderstorms. Rain and thunder and lightning, she thought absently. Eyes like frozen pools of rainwater and hair like an ivory fork of lightning. Touches that sent electricity down her skin and kisses that shook her like a crash of thunder. Dangerous. Unpredictable. Sensual, like dancing in a downpour_._

"I...sometimes," she stammered. She shifted her feet, gaze sliding away from him. "But, it doesn't matter because I'm with you. It's over." She looked up at him again, nearly pleading. "Isn't it?"

He didn't answer for a long moment. "I don't know," he muttered. "I don't know if we left this behind for good and I don't know if it even matters that much anyway. All I know is I have to get this off my chest, be completely done with him. Because he's still here, Jenny." His eyes flicked to her ring and she stiffened. "He's in the way you stare into the shadows, like you _want _something to be there. He's in that ring on your finger. He's a part of you now."

"No," she whispered. "No, you can't think that." Then she paused, a sudden, horrible thought entering her mind. "Are you saying you want to break up with me?"

Something as hard as stone and as cold as ice entered his expression. He raked his hair back. "I need you to tell me something, Jenny," he said. His voice was firm and deadly. "And if you can't answer truthfully, then don't answer at all." He fell silent, hesitating. Jenny felt like her insides were freezing over. He took a deep breath. "Did you love him?"

_No, _she thought. _Oh, Tom, no. Ask me anything, anything at all. Just not this. _She licked her lips nervously. "I-I don't know," she stuttered, hating herself for saying it.

"Jenny. I need to know. And I know that deep down, you know how you felt. Did you love him?"

To love Julian... How could she? He had been evil and cruel. He'd nearly killed Summer and he'd imprisoned them all in the Shadow World. _Because he loved you, _a tiny voice reminded her. Like the night falling for the day. It chases it across the sky, but no matter how hard it tries, it can never stop the light from fading.

_Light to my darkness._

Jenny knew. But she didn't want to say it, she couldn't say it, not to Tom...

"Yes. I loved him."

Tom seemed to deflate, to lose the anger that had been with him before. His shoulders sagged and he signed in resignation. "I understand," he murmured. "And...there's something I need to do. I think it would be best if we did break up, Jenny."

Jenny's throat seemed to close. "Tom, I...I'm sorry," she said weakly. "But, please. Don't do this."

He shook his head, his mind made up. "I have to, Jenny," he said. "Trust me; this is better—for both of us." He started to walk past her, toward the door.

Jenny watched him grasp the handle tight enough to turn his knuckles white. When he went to pull it open, however, she grabbed his wrist. He glanced at her and she searches his eyes frantically, looking for any trace of the light she'd seen before. She took a shuddering breath. "Tom," she whispered. "I need you."

He held her gaze for a long moment. Then his eyes dropped. "No," he murmured, "you don't."


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Okay, guys, just a warning: this is a short chapter. And, unfortunately, there is another cliffhanger. But I think you'll like this one. :) And we're not done with Tom just yet; he plays a very important part in this one! Hope you like it! If I get more new reviews, I'll post the next chapter._

~*three days later*~

Tom could see her, standing alone on Audrey's doorstep. He should've known she'd turn to one of her closest friends for help. As he watched, Dee marched up behind Jenny and put an arm around her shoulders, saying something to her in fierce tones. By the way Jenny's shoulders hunched, he knew she was crying. Dee continued to talk, but in a softer voice now, offering any comfort she could. She paused as the door suddenly opened and Audrey appeared, eyes brimming with sympathy. He felt his heart twist painfully and turned away, unable to watch any longer.

_You did this, _an accusing voice whispered from the the back of his mind. _You caused her suffering. She's heartbroken and it's because of you._He scrubbed a hand through his hair, frustrated. He'd done what he thought had to be done and it was over now. This had to be the best thing for Jenny. It had to be. And yet...

_And yet, here we are. You broke her heart. Nothing can justify that._

He heaved a shuddering sigh. He wanted to make this right. He wanted Jenny to be happy. And in his heart, he knew there was only one thing he could do to ensure that.

Glancing over his shoulder, he had just enough to time to see Jenny disappear into Audrey's house before the door slammed shut. He slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled slip of paper. A rune was sketched on it, an inverted U.

Urus. For piercing the veil between the worlds.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Okay, this is the next chapter! This is just to let you see what Jenny's friends think about the whole situation. Sorry to leave you hanging like this, but the next chapter is gonna be great! More reviews=more updates! :) Thank you for all the reviews so far!_

"Why would he break up with you?" Audrey demanded fiercely. She was perched cross-legged on her bed, glaring at the floor like she could see Tom's face down there. "I mean, you've been together forever. It makes no sense."

Jenny was leaning against the wall, arms folded over her chest. Her eyes burned from tears and she could feel a headache coming on. She wanted desperately for this nightmare to end. "I don't know," she admitted weakly. "It's about Julian. Before we broke up, Tom asked me if I loved him."

"Well, yeah, you love Tom!" Audrey burst out, tossing her arms in the air. "What's he thinking?"

"Audrey," Dee said, rolling her eyes, "she means he asked her if she loved _Julian."_

Audrey blinked. She regarded Jenny through guarded light brown eyes. "You said no, right?" she asked. "He kidnapped you; you always said you hated him."

Jenny couldn't meet her gaze. She stared at her shoes and bit her lip. The gold ring gleamed brightly on her finger. "I said yes," she confessed quietly.

Silence. Then Audrey exploded, _"what?!"_

Jenny cringed at the harsh tone of her friend's voice. "It's true, though," she defended herself. "I did love him. But it should've been over with the last Game. It shouldn't matter anymore."

Dee frowned. "Apparently, it still mattered to Tom," she replied.

Audrey shook her head. "This is crazy," she sighed. "Totally crazy. Tom's insane if he thinks you don't love him just because you cared about Julian too. Ugh..." She stood up, stretching her arms above her head. "I need to cool off. Wanna go swimming?"

"Sure," Jenny murmured, but she didn't look at either of them when she said it.

Dee and Audrey exchanged a troubled glance, then Audrey swept past both of them and out the door. Dee stayed quiet for a minute. Then she pushed off the wall and crossed to Jenny's side. "You know we're here for you, right Jenny?" she asked softly.

At Jenny's small nod, she followed Audrey down the hall. Jenny remained in the room for a little while, her mind reeling. How had this happened? Julian was dead. Tom was gone. Really, truly gone. For the first time in her life, she was alone. The thought shattered her.

"_Come back,"_ she whispered, her words choked by new tears.

But she wasn't entirely sure if she meant Tom or the Shadow Man who had died to save her.


	6. Chapter 6

Light. Beautiful, ivory light, as soft as the moon's halo. Light was the only thing I knew anymore.

I was suspended above everything, surrounded by whiteness. There was no more pain, or sadness, or longing.

Longing. Had I longed for something once?

Or...someone?

I stirred, feeling the echo of an old memory rise in my mind. A girl. A girl with hair like sunlight and deep green eyes. A girl full of innocence and light. Light...

Light to my darkness.

She was...everything. I smiled faintly at the memories as they came rushing back, one by one. I remembered watching her from the shadows when she was only five years old. I remembered seeing her grow up to become even more beautiful. I remembered the Shadow Men's cruel laughter as they realized I had fallen in love with a human girl. And I remembered dying, giving my life for hers.

What was her name?

Dimly, I heard a call ringing around me, shaking me to the core. Something was different here. I couldn't stay. I had to leave this world of light. I could feel myself drifting down, back toward the earth below, to the shadows that waited for me. Did I really need to go back to the darkness?

Jenny. Her name was Jenny.

I opened my eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

**"Tom? What are you doing here?" **

**That's what I wanted to scream when I saw the boy standing in front of me. I settled for crossing my arms and glaring stonily at him instead. As a Shadow Man, I tried to never show my true feelings in front of others and I wasn't about to start now. Especially not in front of this pathetic excuse for a human. **

**Quickly, I took in my surroundings. Dark walls closed in around me on all sides. The small room I was in was bare of furniture and vaguely familiar. With a jolt, I realized I was in a closet much the like the one where I'd been imprisoned before. Tom was standing in the doorway, blocking the exit. The door was open behind him and I could just make out the inverted U of Uruz carved into the surface. I narrowed my eyes. At his feet was a long, flat branch. It was pulsing with a power unlike anything else in the world, human or Shadow. The runestave. The Stave of Life. I blinked. Tom had carved my name back onto the stave? **

**I raised my eyes to his face, arching an eyebrow. "What is this?" I asked, keeping my voice deadly quiet.**

**Hatred flared in his gaze, but behind that was something else. Something like defeat. "What does it look like?" he growled. "I brought you back, Julian." **

**This didn't help. "I can see that," I retorted nastily. "I want to know why." **

**He sighed heavily, not looking at me. Something gleamed in his right hand, catching the light like silver. I stiffened at the sight of the knife he held; obviously Tom wasn't taking any chances with a Shadow Man. "Listen," he began. "I...broke up with Jenny. It just...wasn't working out." **

**"What does that have to do with me?" I asked tonelessly. **

**Pain flashed across his face. It was the first time I'd ever seen Tom Locke broken. One of my happier moments. "Jenny was happy with me," he said flatly. "But after that last Game, she changed. I don't think even she realized how much she was different. She was stronger. She doesn't me anymore." He closed his eyes briefly. "I broke her heart. She's more lonely than I've ever seen her. But I can't be with her." He opened his eyes again, meeting my gaze seriously. "That's why I carved your name back onto the stave. You can make her happy, Julian. I can't." He shook his head slowly. "Not anymore." **

**At first, I had no idea what to say. Tom was letting Jenny go and giving her to me? After everything he'd seen me do during the Games? After the surprise faded, however, wariness crept in. "You're serious?" I said, watching him carefully. "Because I don't want to try to leave this closet and then have the door slam shut in my face." **

**Tom huffed an irritated sigh, already turning away from me. "Yes, I'm serious," he muttered. "I didn't want things to turn out like this, but here we are. So...just leave already. Okay?"**

**He's serious. He's taking all the light in his world and throwing it away. No, giving it up to the darkness.**

**I looked at him with new eyes. It was rare for a human to ever earn my respect. I would always hate Tom Locke but at the same time, I had to admire his willpower. To let Jenny go... To me, it was unthinkable. **

**Jenny. She believed the Games had changed her friends forever. But had they changed me? "Where is she?" I asked.**

**Tom's back was to me now and I saw his shoulders stiffen. "At home," he said simply, ice edging his words. Then he let out a long breath. "Please, just promise me something, Julian." He spun back around, a new light in his eyes. He jabbed a finger at me. "Promise me you'll take care of her." **

**I bristled. I didn't make promises to mere humans. I didn't make promises to anyone. I was about to tell him so, but then I remembered Jenny, and her shining amber hair, her face alight with laughter and goodness and innocence. This wasn't about me; it was about her. **

**"I promise." **

**Shock and then relief swept over his features. He nodded, almost to himself, and turned his back on me again. "All right. That's it then. You won't hear from me again." He sounded choked for a second and he pushed on. "Neither will Jenny. I'm done. Okay, Julian?" He looked back over his shoulder, as though expecting an answer, but the closet behind him was empty.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, sorry for the longer wait, but here it is, the next chapter! It's a little bit longer than the rest, but you definitely don't want to miss this one. Thanks for all the reviews so far! I'll try to update as much as I can. :)**

~*Jenny*~

I sighed wearily, staring at my pale reflection in the mirror. My cheeks were red and tear-stained, as usual. I really should've been used to that by now. Frowning slightly, I reached back and pulled the elastic band from my ponytail, letting my hair fall in waves down my back. Tom had always liked my hair pulled up. But Tom didn't matter anymore, now did he?

I tugged open the top drawer of my dark wood nightstand and pulled out a brush. I started to tug it through my hair, forcing out the knots and doing my best to smooth it down. I tried to think about whether I should put it up into a bun like Audrey, or leave it down, or get it cut. I tried to think of anything but Tom. My eyes burned anyway. I furiously blinked the tears away and tossed the brush back into the drawer with a loud clatter. I wasn't going to cry anymore. I refused to let myself admit how much this was hurting me.

A knock at the front door made me jump. I wiped at my cheeks, hoping to muster up some dignity. My parents were gone for the weekend, so it couldn't be them at the door. I hoped it wasn't Audrey or Dee. I just couldn't bear to see the pity brimming in their eyes or the sympathy oozing out of their voices when they comforted me. I _prayed _it wasn't Tom.

The knock sounded again. "I'm _coming," _I muttered under my breath as I made my way down the hall and into the living room. Turning left, I passed the kitchen and walked to the front door. When I felt the cool surface of the doorknob in my hand, I paused, briefly closing my eyes. _Please, please, please don't let it be Tom. Anyone but him. _I pulled open the door—and my heart stopped.

I'd always known there was no way to prepare for Julian, that someone like him was always a shock to your senses. But this...this was different. He stood on my doorstep like this was the most normal thing in the world, coming to visit me after I'd just seen him _die right in front of me._

I covered my mouth with both hands, a tiny sob threatening to rip free from my chest. "Oh my God," I whispered. "Oh my _God." _I shrank back. _"Julian?"_

He stepped forward, closing the distance between us before I could move to stop him. His sapphire-blue eyes bored into mine with an intensity I'd never seen before. "I know what you're thinking," he said. His voice was the like sound of rain falling over the ocean, of waves crashing to the shore. "But before you say anything else, I have to do this."

And he kissed me.

It happened before I could push him away or tell him no, but as soon as his lips met mine, all those thoughts flew right out of my head. I didn't know how he was here. I didn't know if this was some cruel dream that I would wake up to later, feeling more broken and useless than ever. For once, I didn't want to think about what I didn't know.

I'd been kissed by Julian before. But none of those kisses were like this one. This time, I felt a hunger inside me that hadn't been there before, that urged me to fling my arms around his neck and forget about the rest of the world. So that's what I did.

Julian breathed my name like it was worship, his hands on my hips, drawing me closer. There was no softness in the way he held me, only desire. I slid my hands up into his hair and ran it through my fingers, but it did nothing to satisfy that new hunger taking over me. In the next moment, his mouth left mine and I felt him kiss my neck, leaving a path of fire on my skin. My head fell back and his lips trailed lower, grazing my collarbone. Dimly, I thought there was something important I had to remember, something wrong with this picture. But my mind had shut down completely and all I could think about was the electricity in his touch and the way my skin burned with his kisses.

Julian was the one that pulled away first.

I opened my eyes and for a moment, we were just standing there, breathing heavily and staring at each other. A bit of sense trickled back into my mind and I was surprised by the expression on his face. His eyes were dark with passion and his hair was tousled, strands as white as frost falling across his forehead. There was no trace of the cruel, arrogant smile that I'd come to expect from him. He was searching my gaze, quietly waiting for a reaction. Had the Games changed Julian too?

That was when it all came rushing back. The Games. Julian. Julian was alive.

I took a rough step back, pulling from his arms. This was impossible. "H-how are you...what are you...?" He looked on calmly as I stuttered. I shook my head, trying to clear it. "How can you be alive?" I asked hoarsely, hardly daring to believe it. What if this _was _a terribly beautiful dream?

A small smile quirked his lips. "My name was carved back onto the runestave," he answered. There was no mockery in his tone, no sarcasm or anger. I realized that, for the first time, he wasn't wearing all black. His jeans were still black, but he had on a thin white T-shirt. A silver chain glinted from his neck. How far did this change go?

"Who?" I asked at last. "Who carved your name onto the stave?"

There wasn't even a flicker of hate in his voice when he answered. "Tom."

I inhaled sharply. Tom had brought Julian back? He had always hated Julian for falling in love with me, for threatening to steal me away and keep me in the Shadow World. It was crazy to think that he had been the one to resurrect Julian in the end.

I must've looked pretty confused, because Julian simply said, "he wanted you to be happy."

I blinked. _Happy? _I thought bitterly. _How can I be happy while Tom is gone? _That was when it hit me. Tom thought he wasn't what I wanted anymore. He'd broken up with me because he thought I didn't need him, because we were growing farther and farther apart. But he hadn't wanted me to be alone or to live with this ache inside, so he had...

I looked at Julian with new eyes. "You mean...Tom wants you and I to be together?" I asked slowly.

He dropped his gaze for a moment, like he was embarrassed that I'd said it out loud. I was still baffled by this new Julian, who didn't seem to hide his emotions as much as he once had.

A sudden thought struck me and I felt sick to my stomach. "So, what now?" I snapped, planting my hands on my hips. "Are you planning on dragging me off to the Shadow World for another one of your Games? Or do you want to get the whole gang together again and force my friends into another nightmare?"

His eyes flashed up to mine, an edge of steel in their indigo depths. "I'm not the same person I was back then," he said. His voice still reminded me of ocean rain, but now there was a dangerous hint in it, a warning of coming storms. "I don't see things—or people—that way anymore."

"Do you expect me to believe you?" I asked. I knew I was being nasty and maybe even a little cruel, but he deserved it after all he'd done to me and my friends. "You've done nothing to make me trust you. You can't just show up and expect to be welcomed here."

A bit of his familiar arrogant grin curved his mouth. "That was some welcome you gave me earlier," he reminded me.

Heat rose in my cheeks, but I forced myself not to flinch under his challenging gaze. "Whatever," I scoffed. "I mean, you just came back from the dead. What was I supposed to do, kick you back out into the street?"

There was a moment of shivering silence between us as my words sank in. Julian had come back from the dead. Because Tom had let him. Because he wanted to be with me.

He still loved me.

Tom's bitter voice rang in my ears: _Did you love him?_


	9. Chapter 9

"I'm not going to take you to the Shadow World," Julian said slowly. "And you don't have to worry about any of your friends; this is between you and me this time."

I searched his face, but couldn't read his expression. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" I asked, almost in a whisper. "How do I know you won't just go back on your word like you've done before?"

"Because I—" He broke off suddenly, as thought he'd been about to say something, but thought better of it. "When you were in the Shadow World with me," he said instead, "I hurt you." He said it like the words were knives in this throat, causing him real, physical pain. Maybe they were. "I don't want to hurt you ever again."

I didn't know what to say. "You told me there was nothing but darkness in the world," I told him flatly. "Are you telling me now that that was a lie?"

Regret passed over his features, making him look more human and more vulnerable than I'd ever seen him. "No," he answered reluctantly. "It wasn't a lie. But back then, I wanted to make you see the darkness, and fear it. Now I just want to protect you from it." He looked straight into my eyes, piercing me to the soul. "I don't want to watch the light go out," he murmured, almost to himself.

I didn't have to ask him what he meant. I already knew.

I watched him in silence, taking it in. He was here. He was alive. And, impossibly, he was admitting to the mistakes he'd made. He was sorry. For some reason, this simple fact made it hard for me to breathe.

I never thought I'd see Julian broken ever again, not since that day in the mining cave or when he'd died in my arms. I was wrong. But this time, he was broken in a very different way, like the thin threads of a spider's web, trying desperately to knit itself back together. I was afraid to touch something so fragile.

"Jenny?" Julian was looking at me, his face open and perfect and shattered. "Say something. Please."

I brushed my thumb over the ring on my finger. "All right," I whispered. "I forgive you.


	10. Author's Note

Hey guys! Thank you so much for all the reviews! You've made it a lot of fun for me to write this. Omg, 11 followers! This is my first serious fanfiction on here, so that means a lot to me. I'm sorry I didn't update sooner; I have TONS of chapters for you. My computer was acting up and wouldn't let me post anything for a while! :( Anyway, I'm back on track now, and there's a LOT of Julian in the next few chapters. You guys are gonna LOVE IT.

Well, that's all I have to say! Enjoy the story! :D


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